Jaguars-Falcons trade grades: Jacksonville acquires All-Pro safety Jessie Bates III to bolster defense

On the eve of Tuesday's trade deadline, dominoes are starting to fall across the league with Week 9 largely in the books. And now, the Jaguars have acquired All-Pro safety Jessie Bates III in a trade with the Atlanta Falcons, according to ESPN. As Bates heads to Duval County, the Falcons receive a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick in return.

Bates is in the final year of his contract and is set to be a free agent at the end of this season. While this is looked at as a rental, the 29-year-old should prove to be a key addition to Jacksonville's secondary as it looks to make a serious postseason push following a 6-2 start to the regular season.

In nine games played for the Falcons this season, Bates has recorded one interception, three forced fumbles, and 60 total tackles. The veteran has also allowed a 78.3% completion percentage to go with a 115.2 passer rating in coverage, per TruMedia.

Bates entered the NFL as a second-round draft choice of the Bengals in 2018 out of Wake Forest. After spending his first five years of his career in Cincinnati, he inked a four-year, $64.02 million contract…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/